Will Temperature Checks Help Protect Workers?
2020-06-09
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1Businesses in the United States are opening up after closures ordered by health and other officials because of the coronavirus crisis.
2Many employers and employees are thinking about ways to reduce the risks of infection.
3One common method to find out if people might be sick is the temperature check.
4It involves measuring a person's temperature as they enter a building.
5Will temperature checks make the workplace safer?
6Checks can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections.
7However, the Associated Press recently reported that they should not be the only safety measure that employers take.
8Looking for fevers will not remove all of the risks.
9Even without a fever, people with the virus can still be contagious, or able to spread the virus to others.
10Increased space, cleaning, and hand washing are also important, the AP noted.
11Some employers are using infrared thermometers, devices that take temperature measurements from a distance.
12Workers could use the devices to take their own temperatures, if they use hand sanitizer before and after each use.
13However, the thermometers might take incorrect measurements sometimes.
14The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that some kinds of head coverings, like headbands or bandannas, can make a person too hot.
15Also, some kinds of face wipes can cool the skin.
16The American Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes temperature checks as an "optional strategy that employers may use."
17The agency adds that other protective steps, such as "social distancing (maintaining a distance of about two meters from others), or physical barriers" may be more protective.
18The FDA describes normal temperatures to be around 37 degrees Celsius.
19A statement on the FDA's website notes that "...some studies have shown that "normal" body temperature can be within a wide range, from 36.1°C to 37.2°C."
20I'm John Russell.
1Businesses in the United States are opening up after closures ordered by health and other officials because of the coronavirus crisis. Many employers and employees are thinking about ways to reduce the risks of infection. 2One common method to find out if people might be sick is the temperature check. It involves measuring a person's temperature as they enter a building. 3Will temperature checks make the workplace safer? 4Checks can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections. However, the Associated Press recently reported that they should not be the only safety measure that employers take. 5Looking for fevers will not remove all of the risks. Even without a fever, people with the virus can still be contagious, or able to spread the virus to others. 6Increased space, cleaning, and hand washing are also important, the AP noted. 7Some employers are using infrared thermometers, devices that take temperature measurements from a distance. Workers could use the devices to take their own temperatures, if they use hand sanitizer before and after each use. 8However, the thermometers might take incorrect measurements sometimes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that some kinds of head coverings, like headbands or bandannas, can make a person too hot. Also, some kinds of face wipes can cool the skin. 9The American Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes temperature checks as an "optional strategy that employers may use." 10The agency adds that other protective steps, such as "social distancing (maintaining a distance of about two meters from others), or physical barriers" may be more protective. 11The FDA describes normal temperatures to be around 37 degrees Celsius. A statement on the FDA's website notes that "...some studies have shown that "normal" body temperature can be within a wide range, from 36.1°C to 37.2°C." 12I'm John Russell. 13John Russell adapted this story based on Associated Press reports and information from the CDC and FDA. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 14________________________________________________________________ 15Words in This Story 16fever - n. a body temperature that is higher than normal 17contagious - adj. having a sickness that can be passed to someone else 18sanitizer - n. a kind of cleaning product that makes something free from dirt, infection, disease, etc. 19optional - adj. available as a choice but not required 20strategy -n. a plan for reaching a goal that usually takes a long period of time 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.